World Cup: Esipenko beats Yakubboev

The final stage of the FIDE World Cup began in Goa on Tuesday, with Wei Yi and Javokhir Sindarov opening their title match and Andrey Esipenko and Nodirbek Yakubboev starting their fight for the last remaining Candidates spot. Both encounters produced entertaining struggles: Wei pressed slightly in a Petroff Defence before the game was drawn, while Esipenko responded to his painful semifinal exit with a confident win to take the lead in the third-place match. | Photo: Michal Walusza